The drug connection is one that continues to resist analysis, both because cause and effect are so difficult to distinguish and because the role of the drug-prohibition laws in causing and labeling 'drug-related crime' is so often ignored. There are four possible connections between drugs and crime, at least three of which would be much diminished if the drug-prohibition laws were repealed. 'First, producing, selling, buying, and consuming strictly controlled and banned substances is itself a crime that occurs billions of times each year in the United States alone' (Lindsmith Center). In the absence of drug-prohibition laws, these activities would obviously stop being crimes. 'Selling drugs to children would continue to be criminal, and other evasions of government regulation of a legal market would continue to be prosecuted; but by and large the drug connection that now accounts for all of the criminal-justice costs noted above would be severed' (Lindsmith Center).

Taking on the narcotics trade in Helmand

Drug Enforcement Administration special agents

Operation Mallorca, US Drug Enforcement Administra...

Second, many illicit-drug users commit crimes such as robbery and burglary, as well as drug dealing, prostitution, and many others, to earn enough money to purchase the relatively high-priced illicit drugs. 'Unlike the millions of alcoholics who can support their habits for relatively modest amounts, many cocaine and heroin addicts spend hundreds and

even thousands of dollars a week' (Lindsmith Center). If the drugs to which they are addicted were much cheaper-which would be the case if they were legalized-the

number of crimes committed by drug addicts to pay for their habits would, in all likelihood,

decline. Even if a legal-drug policy included the a demand of relatively high taxes in order to discourage consumption, drug prices would probably still be lower than they are today.

The third drug connection is the commission of crimes- violent crimes in particular-by people under the influence of illicit drugs.

I think much of what is written here is stereotypical and not necesaraly correct. Just because you make illegal drugs legal, dosent mean kids aren't still going to get there hands on them. Ex: cigarettes and alcohol. Statistics show that alcohol is the most widly abused substance in the US between the ages of 15-25. alcohol is legal. think about it.

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